In France, the phenomenon of unjustified absence from the workplace is increasing in France, along with a 60% increase in sick leave since 2012.

Indeed, absences increased after Covid’s pandemic, according to official data.

In the face of this … epidemic, which today costs more than 10 billion euros a year, an amount that significantly burdens the country’s economy facing chronic fiscal crisis, many companies are now hiring private researchers to monitor employees who are absent.

For what reasons do the French do ‘jump’ from work

Reuters talked to me five private investigators And all of them have been told that fraud with sick leave is flourishing – to such an extent that some of them have abandoned the usual cases, such as extramarital affairs, to focus solely on monitoring workers who are suspected of using sick leave.

Detective Batist Panos stated that the contract of the linked to suspicious sick leaves have more than doubled over the last four years.

Fabrice Leman, a private detective since 1994, has been taking over more and more business workers’ cases such as financial sectorwho is considered one of those where the sick leave is abused.

As Leman explains, one of his “goals” was suspected that was working for an opponent companywhile others used their sick leave for to establish their own companies.

Leman’s partner, Patrice Lembek, says he has seen people declare illness and go straight to the airport to leave for vacation.

“Whether it’s a workplace or a married couple, it always ends in two things: money or infidelity“, He says.

Fraud with doctors and allowances

A report of 2024 of the Finance Inspection General found that officials in the French State received 14.5 days of sick leave in 2022, while those in the private sector 11.7 days.

Or French Social security pays allowance up to 41.47 euros daily to employees with sick leave, for maximum duration three -year -old.

However, employers complement most of the remaining salary for a predetermined period.

In July, former French Prime Minister François Bairou revealed that Half of sick leaves exceeding 18 months were unjustifiedwithout going into details.

Private investigator Bruno Baavan says that government commitments are to scam -as targeted Doctors granting unjustified sick leaves They are “nonsense” as irregularities are rarely punished.

As he explains, he had been hired by a large public transport companyin a part of which 30% of employees were on sick leave.

“We found cases, we found those who work elsewhere, no one was punished. The customer did not hire us again, he told us: It is pointless, we cannot dismiss them, ”he explains.

What do experts say

The “culture of the business” in France does not help, experts say.

‘We have increasing work pressure and a very vertical, authoritarian In France, which no longer fits the need for employees for empathy and collective change. The system is oppressive »says economist Jean-Claude Delzen.

For her part, Sabrin Ali Benali, a doctor in the Emergency Department, who signed the proposals for the left -wing health system of the left -wing France, has the opposite view.

It rejects the image of some companies for their employees that they are treated with excessive leniency.

Although some resort to her asking for sick leave, she estimates that extensive fraud is “fantasy”.